


summer

by marvels_agents100



Series: the keeper of horae [2]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:27:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 780
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25163887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marvels_agents100/pseuds/marvels_agents100
Summary: seasons change, but he never does
Relationships: Aaron Hotchner/Reader
Series: the keeper of horae [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1821433
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	summer

The stars didn’t twinkle in the night, they shone brightly. City lights no longer polluted the sky, no longer concealed the bursts of light dotted in the dark blue horizon. The warm, salty ocean breeze rolled in with the waves that lapped at your ankles, greeting you gently before retreating to the tide. The tension in your shoulders was carried away with the waves, and you silently thanked God- or rather, any God that would listen- that this particular case originated by a beach.

Your shoes hung loosely from your fingers, the denim of your pants resting halfway down your shin. You let the wet sand sink between your toes as your eyes connected the dots of light hanging above you.

“I figured I’d find you here,” he spoke softly as he approached you, trying to keep from startling you.

You turned to face him, his suit long forgotten in the wake of a dark henley and baggy trousers. His usually neat hair danced in the breath of the summer night, the ebony strands landing messily on his forehead. His eyes mimicked the dark of the sky, with their own stars to match. 

You smiled, “You know me all too well, Hotchner.”

A chuckle escaped his lips, his hands burying themselves in his pants pockets, “I’m sure there is much to learn.”

You turned back towards the water, fascinated by the way the moonlight skipped on the wave breaks, jumping from crest to crest in a non committal manner. A few moments passed before the soft splash of wading feet reached your ears, the silhouette of him reaching the corners of your vision.

He sighed, head tilting towards the sky as his eyelids slowly shut. You let yourself admire him, the wind tousling his hair once more. He was beautiful, you knew, but the way his skin shone just as brightly as every star in the night, the way a content smile- a rare sight to see- graced his lips, the way the man in the moon reached down to kiss his cheeks; he was far more captivating when he was happy.

“I’ve always loved the ocean,” he confessed softly, “it’s a beautiful thing.”

“It is,” you agreed, gaze falling to the water lapping against your skin, “I try my best to recognize beauty when it presents itself to me,” his eyes opened to look towards you, studying you while you talked, “with what we do, who we are, it’s hard to remember how utterly lovely this world can be.”

He could think of one reminder, a beacon of grace and magnificence, the person that was his reminder that the world wasn’t nearly as bleak as it seemed.

He didn’t reply, save for a small hum in the back of his throat.

“Even in the darkest moments of the world, when the sun rests and the moon hides in shadow, we have the stars to keep us company,” your words came out in a sigh, your eyes reaching upwards once more.

He followed your gaze, glazing over the small bits of light, trying his absolute best to memorize every moment- he never wanted to forget.

It was the summer breeze that enticed him, but the idea of your presence was what brought him to the shorelines. His heart beat loudly within his chest, the ebb and flow of the water doing little to relax his pulse. Every breath he took was filled with the salty air, a steel he was sure would stick to your skin for a few days. He looked to the sky, the waves, the moon, and wondered to himself how you managed to outshine them all, how you managed to minimize their beauty in the wake of your own.

His eyes found you, and it took his breath away. All he could think was how heavenly you looked clothed in the moonlight, how your curious eyes traced the sky with a delicate wonder, how lucky the waves were to be able to touch you.

“(Y/N),” he breathed, his voice barely a whisper.

Your gaze flickered to him, “Yes?”

“Why did you come out here?”

You smiled, eye slowly moving back to the waves, “The sea is a great listener.”

And you knew he would wonder what you had whispered to the water, what secrets you sunk into the sand. You knew he wouldn’t ask, but his mind would explore. 

The ocean held your words in it’s hands, keeping them hostage until you spoke them to another. But, of course, you weren’t sure if you ever would.

Your eyelids fluttered shut, the quiet mantra of the waves floating in your thoughts,

I love you, Aaron Hotchner.


End file.
